It is exceptionally good news to learn that China has signed MoUs with Pakistan to develop 51 projects worth several billions of dollars. It includes a gigantic project of Economic Corridor to link Gwadar with Western China. If a hydroelectric dam would have been included like KBD or Bhasha Dam, it would have provided both water and cheap power to Pakistan. However, it was not to be given existing circumstances. I would suggest that a high powered Implementation Committee ought to be created to monitor the progress of multi-billion projects not only to speed up the work but to also safeguard from any incident of financial corruption which has now become endemic in Pakistan.
Almost every day a new financial scandal is revealed by the press which could endanger the vital projects envisioned. The PM’s close relatives are being blamed to be responsible for financial scandals, prime being the Finance Minister himself. It would have been advisable to appoint a person like Mr Ahsan Iqbal to be Finance Minister who is highly qualified and above board to also head the Implementation Committee to oversee the progress and financial propriety of projects. All can be lost if even a whiff of corruption is reported in the projects that could lose the confidence of a sincere friend like China whose President has launched an anti-corruption campaign in his own country.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore